Regulable electrical steam boiler



M. FUSS REGULABLE ELECTRICAL STEAM BOILER Flled Aprll 1 1922 Jan. 26 1926.

VZZZ,

Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,571,165 PATENT OFFICE.

MAX FUSS, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIG-NOB TO MEYER-KELLER & CIE., OF LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.

REGULABLE ELECTRICAL STEAM BOILER.

Application filed April 1, 1922.

for such liquid electrodes for steam boilers entail certain drawbacks in that the steam bubbles generated cannot rise as freely as is desired; also, the insulating cylinders are of such a large size that it makes them almost impractical to house within the boilers; and, furthermore, it were possible to make the same of china, in spite of their size, the cost thereof would be prohibitive. Furthermore, adjusting the electrodes or the insulating cylinders was possible only with aid of a substantial lever mechanism.

The above-mentioned drawbacks are obviated by the present invention in that in a steam boiler which is electrically heated after the electrode-principle stationary electrodes are arranged between plates of insulating material in such a manner that the liquid which serves as resistance may get access to the electrodes from above, from below, and laterally. This arrangement provides for a rapid circulation of the water between the electrodes and the insulating plates.

It is necessary, with boilers of this kind, to provide for the possibility of regulating the current passing through, and heating, the liquid in wide limits with aid of simple means, corresponding to the alteration of the resistance as brought about by the change of the temperature of the liquid. For this purpose, the insulating plates which have the electrodes between them are adjustable relatively to each other. A preferred form of construction is that in which one of the insulating plates which are arranged oppositely to each other may be adjusted with respect to the other insulating plate which is stationary by means of a threaded spindle which extends from the Serial No. 548,878.

adjustable plate to outside the boiler and is here provided with a hand wheel by which it may be rotated; the electrode is attached to the stationary plate. This arrangement permits of adjusting the insulating plates, relatively to each other, in such a manner that the distance between their upper edges is larger than the distance between their lower edges whereby, according to the energy reception, the rising of the steam bubbles is facilitated.

The insulating plates which receive the electrodes between them may be curved or distorted in a certain measure and so arranged upon, and affixed to, the spindle that they are revoluble around their central axis whereby also in this case the length of the resistance-offering way in the liquid is altered, may be quite gradual.

In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, and in which T igu're 1 is a transverse section through a steam boiler having insulating plates and electrodes arranged according to this invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section through this boiler, the insulating plates and the electrodes being shown in plan and the insulating pipes (g, Fig. 1) of the current feed wires being omitted. Figure 3 is an illustration similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of construction. And Figure ei is a vertical longitudinal section through this modified boiler, the insulating plates and the insulating pipes (9, Fig. 3) being shown in sideview and the electrodes being shown in vertical section.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, each electrode a is affixed to a stationary insulating plate .7) and conductively connected with a feed wire m which passes through a china duct f and through a china insulating tube g. The stationary insulating plates Z), as well as the movable or adjustable insulating plates 6 are supported upon a base mem her h which is supported in its turn upon the bottom of the boiler 1'. Also the plates 6 D consist of china or of marble or the like, and their arrangement relatively to one another in each pair is such that the liquid 0 can enter into the space between them from above, from below, and from the two sides.

In the example shown (Figs. 1 and 2), the movable or adjustable plates 6 are 0011- nected with each other by a horizontal bar 70, and a horizontal spindle 6 arranged at right angles with respect to said bar is coupled with this latter at n and passes at its other or free end through a stufling-box Or the like 0. The spindle is threaded at e and provided with a hand-wheel e by which it may be rotated so as to be screwed forward or backward in the box orbearingo.

By turning the hand wheel contrary to clock-hand direction, the plates 6 are moved oil, the plates 6. In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 the distance between the plates 6 and 6 increases in upward direction. and is the greatest between the upper edges ofv these plates. Thus, by turning the wheel 6 contrarily to clockhand direction, the increase of the distance between the plates is the greatest at the top of the plates in question, and the rising of the steambubbles is, therefore, considerably facilitated, themore electric energy is supplied and consumed.

A modified execution of the insulating plates .7) b is illustrated at the lower end of Figure 2, where there is shown that one of the plates, for instance b, may have ribs, preferably vertical ones, such as. (Z, which engage correspondingly located grooves, for instance such as (P. This means renders it possible to vary the resistance-way of the liquid in wide limits; it will be practically zero if the plates are pressed firmly against each other.

Referring. now to Figs. 3 and 4, the insulating plates are, in this instance, circular, but slightly bent just in one diameter, to such an extent that the halves of each pair of plates are parallel on the one side and diverge outwardly at the other side. Anyhow, this particular form of execution is merely an example. The bends of the plates maybe more or less otherwise, or the plates may be distorted, but at any rate the shape of the disks or plates must be such that the distances betweentheir active surface portion andthe electrodes a (which are semicircular in the example shown) is varied by turning the spindle e in the one or the other direction. There are, as seen, in this instance no stationary insulating plates, such as b (Figs. 1 and 2), but all of them are affixed to the spindle e. Theelectrodesa are now, of course, not attached to certain insulating plates, but suspended from the feed wires m. The length of the resistance-way is varied by turning the plates, as already mentioned. Ifthe plates or disks are not bent over any one of the diameters, but gradually distorted, also-the change of the resistance-way proceeds gradually. The spindle has in the example in question no such thread as 6 Figs. 1 and 2.

Having now described my invention, what I desire to secure by a patent of the United States is:

1. A device for the electric heating oi liquids in combination with a; boiler, a plurality of stationary electrodes suspended therein, a pair of vertically positioned insulating plates arranged, about each electrode and forming a passage way therebetween, and means for rotating said plates whereby the cross sectional area of said passage way may be varied at different points.

2. A device for the electric heating of liquids in combination with a boiler, a pinrality of stationary electrodes suspended there-in, a shaft journalled withinsaid boiler, insulating plates carried by said shaft and arranged'about said electrodes to form passage ways therebetween, and means for rotating said shaft whereby the cross. sectional area of said passage ways may be varied at different points.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature.

MAX FUSS. 

